pelican
noun
any of several large, totipalmate, fish-eating birds of the family Pelecanidae, having a large bill with a distensible pouch.
pelicans
-
pluralof pelican.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He has described the prehistoric-looking Dalmatian pelicans, which “have eyes of such tremulous glacial depths—the bluish-gray sclera like an ice sheet being cored by the black iris—that they appear to hold entire worlds inside them.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Some cranes, pelicans, and vultures weighing between 8kg and 21.5kg have hatchlings ranging from 110g to around 357g, corresponding to neonate-adult body mass ratios of about 1.3% to 4.5%.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
In recent months, dozens of pelicans and cormorants were found dead near San Diego.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
In 2024, the graffiti artist created an animal trail around the capital with pieces featuring a goat, elephants, a gorilla, monkeys, piranhas, a rhino and pelicans among other animals.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025
There were figures of pelicans floating in the water and flying, of dolphins, whales, sea elephants, gulls, ravens, dogs, and foxes.
From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
